The European Union's most senior humanitarian aid official has called on the Sudanese authorities to ensure access and security in the country's troubled Darfur region. The European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, spent four days in Sudan, meeting high level Sudanese Government officials and touring the Kalma camp for internally displaced people in South Darfur state.

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Question: What are your impressions of Kalma camp?

Kristalina Georgieva: Kalma camp, just outside Nyala in South Darfur state is the first relocation centre where displaced people affected by the 2003 conflict gathered. With a population of over 82,000, it is the second largest camp in Darfur. Humanitarian workers provide most of the services here – food distribution; health care, water and sanitation. But with the camp population growing, and resources limited, they can't cope.

In the children's clinic, each day projects funded by the European Commission provide some 150-200 malnourished children with the nutritional supplements and treatment that literally save their lives. Food distribution, which we also support, covers 62% of nutrition needs. We have to prioritise, and target those most at risk – children under two, pregnant women, those with medical conditions.

Q: What message did you convey to the Sudanese authorities about the humanitarian situation in Darfur?

KG: In the meetings I held with various Government officials, I emphasised the need for access to areas which have been inaccessible due to fighting and for security to be improved across Darfur. Two people were killed in Kalma camp, the day before my visit. May was the worst month for fighting in Darfur since 2008, with nearly 600 people losing their lives in rebel and ethnic fighting, among them – two Egyptian peacekeepers. I met the State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Mutrif Siddiq Ali, and he, amongst others, reassured met that security and access remain his Government's priority. He recognised the support given by the joint United Nations and African Union peace-keeping mission to Darfur, UNAMID, but said they still face challenges.

Q: What did the people living in Kalma tell you?

KG: In Kalma, in my meeting with community leaders, the call for security is loud and clear. They, especially the young, also talk about opportunities for development, which won't come without security in place. These are resilient people, but they have had to endure difficult conditions in the camp. Many have lived there for the eight years it has been open.

Q: What is access like outside Kalma?

KG: As grave as the conditions in Kalma camp are, at least there is access to those living there. As fighting between government forces and rebels, and between tribes, continues, humanitarian workers are prevented from reaching some of the most needy communities. Big parts of eastern Jebel Mara, the place from where most of the people in Kalma came from, and where fighting is ongoing, have been inaccessible since February. I can only imagine the dire conditions for the women and children who are in great need of humanitarian assistance which we are simply unable to bring.

Q: How optimistic are you about the situation in Darfur improving?

KG: I am very concerned by the growing insecurity in Darfur which makes it more difficult to reach those who desperately need our assistance. Access and security are paramount to reach out to people whose lives depend on this assistance, but are also critically needed to open up a chance for the economic development of Darfur, so we can break out of the vicious circle of crisis breeding insecurity and insecurity deepening the crisis. During my mission, the first rains fall over Darfur. They bring hope for a new harvest and a better year, after the hardship of the current drought. I learned that – like in my own country – rain is a symbol of luck. But Darfur needs more than luck – its people need peace and a fair share of the resources that have so successfully transformed the capital Khartoum into a booming city.